Park Manager Daniel Gambrell Explains Volunteering and Camp Hosting, and Updates us on Developments at Sesqui State Park

During a visit to Sesquicentennial State Park in late July, I was able to corner Park Manager Daniel Gambrell for another interview. During earlier conversations Daniel had mentioned the importance of volunteers and camp hosts at his Park. So I asked him for some more detail.

He said Sesqui attracts about 150 volunteers a year. They work on everything from trail maintenance to operating the fee station. A wide variety of jobs. To apply, just drop by the Park, describe your interests and talents, and work out a mutually agreeable schedule. The only general requirement is a desire to work out-of-doors in a State Park!

Click this button to hear Park Manager Gambrell explain volunteering at South Carolina’s State Parks.

Sesqui, and many other South Carolina State Parks, has a special category of volunteers: members of “Friends of Sesqui.” Sesqui’s friends group has become considerably more active during the past year or so. Like the Park System’s other friends groups, Friends of Sesqui is a 501C3 non-profit corporation. Which means contributions are deductible. They also have their own Facebook page. Click here to access that.

Friends Group volunteers help with advertising and fundraising. They also help with special events. Like Sesqui’s wildly popular summer night family movie series. And they’ve recently made a big difference in the Park’s trails.

Click this button to hear Park Manager Gambrell describe the Sesqui’s newly energized Friends Group.

Those of us who camp at South Carolina’s state parks regularly appreciate the importance of campground hosts. Those folks who seem to appear magically when we need help. Or just need information about the Park or surrounding area.

Somehow Sesqui has been able to attract crackerjack campground hosts over the decades I’ve been camping here. A few return year after year to help out. You’ll see them set up on Campsite # 1 as you drive into the campground.

I’ve had a number of inquires here about becoming a campground host. So I asked Daniel how one might apply, and about their role at his Park. He described campground hosts as a variety of Volunteer. Interested folks should just fill out a volunteer application, specifying their interest in hosting. And be willing to donate 20 hours or more a week to the Park. In return, they get a free full hookup campsite while serving.

Click here to hear Park Manager Gambrell give more details about campground hosting at Sesqui.

Sesquicentennial State Park is just a stone’s throw from Downtown Columbia. So it attracts a lot of day visitors. Folks who aren’t camping, in other words. Many of those day visitors come to Sesqui for picnics.

They keep Sesqui’s picnic shelters and picnic pads busy year-round. The Park accepts picnic shelter reservations all year, but If you plan to come during warmer weather be especially sure to call for a reservation. Note that these picnic tables have been made wheelchair-friendly. Nice to see.

I asked Daniel about his fancy new picnic table groupings on concrete slabs. Here’s his reply.

For the past seven years or so, Sesqui has sponsored a huge fenced-in dog park. I think it’s the only one in the whole Park System. Here your dog can have a good off-leash run in a safe environment. Use requires registration, payment of a small annual fee, and presentation of vaccination and neutering records.

This is a great facility. The Park personnel “interview” your dog for friendliness and snap a photo. You get a numbered tag for each dog and a key to the dog park gate. Excellent system!

Click here to hear Park Manager Gambrell describe his dog park and how it operates.

So, there you have it. We’re out of time. I hope to see you during your next visit to Sesquicentennial State Park here in Columbia.

Waist-High Gardening on a Grand Scale in Iron Station, North Carolina

And now for something a little different here on Mobile Studio Travels. Neither ElderCamping nor ElderHiking. Not even ElderKayaking. This is ElderGardening.

I don’t have the patience, skills, or optimism necessary to garden. So, ElderGardening is unlikely to become a regular feature here.

But my Dad up in Iron Station has all three. Raised on a side-hill OverHome farm, he knows what it takes to pull food up out of the dirt. And he’s recently applied those skills to a plot in Iron Station, North Carolina.

Traditional gardening can be hard on the back. It requires a lot of stooping and pulling. Not as easy as it once was when your 90th birthday is just weeks away. But there are alternatives. You you may have heard of “waist-high gardening.”

The principle is simple. Makes sense. Raise a patch of dirt from ground level to about waist height. The photos above are taken from the GardenRack website. One of the best waist-high gardening sites on the Web. Click here for a look.

There, Victoria, the Frugal Gardener, offers all sorts of information and encouragement. Just a few square feet of soil a few inches deep is all you need!

That’s what I expected when during a May or June phone call Dad mentioned he’d started waist-high gardening in the back yard of his Iron Station, North Carolina home. A few square feet of soil; maybe a watering can nearby. Not much fuss.

Well, after all these years I should have known better. With a wonderful neighbor from across the road as co-conspirator, Dad now is cultivating a “waist-high garden” fully four feet wide and twelve feet long. The dirt is one foot deep, or a little more, throughout.

That’s 48 cubic feet of dirt! Now, at between 75 and 80 pounds per cubic foot, that’s at least 3,600 pounds of dirt! Before adding water, fertilizer, and plants. Don’t forget weeds. Though I suspect few of them will survive.

Imagine how sturdy the frame of this “waist-high garden” has to be to support all that weight. No worries there. It’s built like a brick …. ah, …. brick patio.

Heavy, treated lumber bolted together, with gravel and perforated iron sheeting at the bottom to facilitate drainage. What a project!

Speaking of drainage, here’s the irrigation system. A hose runs from the wellhead directly to the garden. Buried underground most of the way, of course.

Here you see America’s oldest living garden moisture meter. Sold not long after the invention of water, it seems. “Waste not; Want not!” Still working, though. Dad keeps close track of soil moisture with this. At all levels.

Tools so far are elementary. Here’s one of the most important. Now, I expect to see modifications in this department during future visits. Just too much temptation! Mechanization? Steam engines? Miniature tractors? I wouldn’t be surprised …. But for now, just simple gardening tools.

So, does all of this work? You bet! Below are just a few of the plants already producing.

Peppers:

Lettuce:

Tomatoes:

With plenty more to come.

So there you have it. Waist-high gardening on a near-commercial level. Special thanks to Ron across the road who designed, engineered, and constructed this remarkable facility. Waist-high gardening indeed.

Visit to Chester State Park, South Carolina

Last week I was able to spend some time at Chester State Park. Sort of a vacation. I’d planned a different outing, but at the last minute couldn’t resist the thought of a few peaceful days at this beautiful getaway. That’s site # 4 you see above. Just about ideal. Flat; pull-through; solid surface; great view of the lake. Electricity and water, of course. Now, how can you beat that?

Oh, that’s the latest addition to the Aliner. A security light that turns on only at night, and then only when it senses movement near the Aliner. A “Mr Beams MB360.” Works like a charm. And only $20 or so.

The light runs on four D-cell batteries, so it’s pretty heavy. Had to place it with a combination of “extreme” Velcro, a supplementary hook, and a short length of bungee cord. it’s easy to mount and dismount with the passenger-side “A” down.

Now, have a look at this. A group of 4H students enjoying their annual camping outing.

Twenty-some campers with ten or so chaperoning adults, at least when I checked. They set up their tents and equipment down by the lake.

What a nice group of kids. Quiet, engaged in their activities, and not a sound from them after 9:PM or so. Gathered from four South Carolina counties. Camp Host Mr. Sonny told me all of their sites were clean as whistles when they packed up and left. And Mr. Sonny’s fussy about his campsites. Maybe there’s hope for this country after all!

Just a few words about the Park. Somehow, Park Manager John Wells and his assistant, Brandon Bowers, between them keep everything spic and span. Lots of personal investment from both of them supplementing what has to be a limited budget. And it shows.

Here’s an example of that personal investment. And initiative. The lake at Chester has a nice boat ramp. But last time I visited there weren’t any parking spaces long enough to accommodate trucks with their trailers attached. So John and Brandon recently carved these spots out with some borrowed earthmoving equipment!

Cost? Gasoline, a few more hours on the equipment, and a healthy investment of what OverHome we used to call “elbow grease” from John and Brandon. Another “high-bang; low-buck” project here at Chester.

Oh, and speaking of “high-bang, low-buck” projects, here’s another one. Look carefully at this trailhead. Give it a click so you’re able to see the rails and steps more clearly. Also notice the stone wall. That’s part of the original stone wall laid up by the African-American CCC Company 4475 that built this Park. Here’s a link to more information about their work.

Expensive, right? Not hardly. If I remember correctly, this trailhead is a local high school Junior ROTC group project. They supply the labor and materials. The Park provides the supervision and encouragement. Another means of stretching scarce Park budget dollars. I mean!

I could go on and on. But just a couple more examples. Click on the photo above. That’s part of the original Chester State Park sign. From the 1930s! Discovered while cleaning out a maintenance shed.

John and Brandon decided to rescue it, mount it on a background made of boards from the original building, and hang the completed display on the wall of the new office. Now, try putting old boards together to make a smooth mounting surface sometime! I look forward to seeing the sign hang in the new office.

Speaking of the new office building, here it is. Not the largest in the system, by any means. But space is allocated inside so they’ll even have room for a small retail section!

One other nice thing about Chester State Park is its proximity to the City of Chester. Chester’s one of those places in South Carolina that seems determined to take advantage of its history and heritage. There’s a lot to see, so try to save a full day to look around. Check the website link above for detailed information and events. Lots to learn, and wonderful food.

There’s a great Bi-Lo store nearby too. Just 3.7 miles. One of the biggest in the State, open 24 hours a day. Handy whenever you run out of milk, peanut butter, or other Life Essentials.

I’ve written before about the importance of Camp Hosts. Trish and Sonny Walker, now at Chester, are fine examples. As you might imagine, with so few personnel at the Park, they both stay busy as one-armed paper-hangers. But if you can catch them with a few minutes free be sure to ask about the surrounding region. Both were born and grew up nearby.

So they’re both great sources of information, and as helpful as can be. When’s the last time you had a Camp Host call to say you’d left a piece of equipment on your site, and that he’s holding it for you? Well, I got just such a call from Mr. Sonny on Friday.

So, thanks again to Park Manager John Wells, Assistant Brandon Bowers, Camp Hosts Mr. and Mrs. Walker, Sonny and Trish, and the latest staff arrival, Miss Kayla in the Office. You folks all made a wonderful vacation even better. Hope to see you again soon.

Camping at Sesquicentennial State Park, SC

Back on the road again. Well …. Not exactly on the road. But camping, anyway. Over at Sesquicentennial State Park just outside Columbia, South Carolina. Yes, yes, I know. I’ve been here dozens of times. Each time, though, I learn something different about this remarkable 1,600-acre property.

The advantage this trip is that it’s only about three miles from the house. Just across Two Notch Road (That’s U.S. Route One for you non-South Carolinians). Good place to get back into the swing of RV camping after being confined to quarters for a while.

Now, Sesqui is smack dab in the middle of South Carolina’s Sandhills environment, with its fascinating vegetation and animal life. A great place to visit and to camp. But the Sandhills environment presents special challenges for park managers and their maintenance crews.

Imagine trying to maintain unpaved roads and campsites here. Well, somehow they manage. I took the photos above this morning. Yesterday it rained cats and dogs here. A real frog-strangler. Not every campsite is this level and smooth. But most are. Remarkable! Crews were already out early this morning, clearing drains, removing all signs of the storm.

I’ll stop bragging on Sesquicentennial now, but have to encourage you to come by. If you haven’t been here in the past seven years or so, do come back to have a look around. I think you’ll be pleased with all the changes.

Camp if you’re able. RV or Tent. If you can’t camp, come by to hike the trails, use the dog park, or just walk around. Stop by the office to see the exhibits that Park Naturalist Stacy has prepared. Sign up for one of her programs if you have the time. You’ll learn a lot.

Oh, a couple of important developments. I’ve got to find out more about these. But have a look at the new picnic tables above. I think there are three new areas like this. Notice the extended section of the nearest table. Ideal for folks using wheeled vehicles. And that new concrete pad is solid as a rock. Somebody must’ve won a grant! If you’re planning an event and would like to use one of these picnic areas, be sure to make a reservation. They’re being heavily used already.

You long-time readers may recall me moaning about plant life taking over Sesqui’s Lake. Discouraging my ElderKayaking. Well, look at this! The whole lake is like this now. Aquatic plants are restricted to just one small section.

And the fish are back. Now, we all know that you can’t rely on Park personnel to describe how good the fishing is in their Park’s lakes. These folks assure me, though, there are plenty now here at Sesqui. Some of them real lunkers.

So there you have it. Sesquicentennial State Park. A great place to RV or tent camp; a great place to visit. Come on by the next time your travels take you near Columbia, South Carolina.

“My Tracks” A Useful SmartPhone App for ElderHikers

Health has restricted me to quarters for the past few weeks. Nothing serious, as it turns out. So, more travel coming soon! Hopefully.

In the meantime, those of you who carry smartphones, be they Androids, iPhones, or whatever, might have a look at “My Tracks.” Click here for more detailed information.

It’s free to download and, best of all, simple to use. When you begin a hike or walk, just remember to open the app on your WhatEver phone, select “Record Track” and you’re on your way. When you arrive at your destination, open the app again and select “Stop Record.”

That’s it. Your route will be outlined on whatever map you use on your phone with A and B flags marking the beginning and end. You can zoom in for a close-up of each section of the route, or zoom out to place your route in a larger context. You also can view your route against a satellite or a Google Earth background.

I used My Tracks for a while before realizing it also provides detailed statistics. Distance, speed (average overall; average moving) and even changes in elevation. I’m sure there are other features. But I have yet to read the manual.

Oh, another useful feature is the ability to export each “track,” and to send others a link to the map and statistics. Great for bragging about long, speedy walks over hill and dale. Your “braggee” doesn’t need the My Tracks app to see your accomplishment either. It comes up in their regular web browser.

Click here for an example of an exported “track.”

I’ve downloaded dozens of apps since getting my Droid X smartphone a while back. Most have been free. Some cost a few dollars. Yet I use regularly only a dozen or so. “My Tracks” is one app I use daily. It’s a winner. Price is right too. Give it a try, and let me know about your experience.